Brave Monty Mouse and the Damsel in Distress

Collecting seeds in the forest on a much needed holiday, Monty heard a voice.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, so that I may climb the golden stair.

Well to be fair, this was the closest Monty could come to a translation because his German was almost non-existent, and the destination was a last minute deal he’d found on the internet only two days before.

Intrigued and to be honest at a bit of a loose end, he edged forward to see what was happening.

He was too late. All he saw was the back view of someone disappearing into the window of a high tower. He settled down with his phrase book, nibbled on some snacks and enjoyed the sunshine.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, so that I may climb the golden stair.

Monty woke with a start. How long had he been sleeping? It was dark now but the  tower was clearly  visible in the moonlight. Moving into the shadows, he edged his way closer, and stood up on his hind legs. A stunningly beautiful girl appeared at the window, shook out her long golden braid and a young chap shinned up the gleaming tresses and disappeared from view. Monty did a quick circuit of the tower but couldn’t find an obvious entrance. He headed back to his lodgings and thought he would have another go in the morning.

Joining the other guests for breakfast in the morning he tried out his halting German to see if anyone knew what was going on in the tower.  The whole miserable tale was revealed and Monty was heartbroken about the fate of the lovely girl but slightly comforted to learn that the Prince had a Plan. The Mice were concerned at the length of time it was taking to weave the ladder but they were all firmly on the side of the young couple and eager to help.  The problem seemed to be a logistical one; the Mice had been supplying the silk and they were having to travel further each day because the local supply was exhausted.  Monty gave this some thought and soon they had persuaded the Silk Worms of the urgency of the problem, enlisted the Spiders, and the Moth Caterpillars were on overtime.

They were also terrified that The Witch would cotton on and scupper the rescue attempt. Monty was aware of this particular danger and made a call to his friend Dorothy who called back promptly to reassure him that the Good Witch of the North and a couple of Munchkins were on their way, and she couldn’t recommend them highly enough.  The Wizard was fully aware of the situation and though unable to travel at the moment was happy to provide back up by phone should the need arise.

Satisfied with his efforts, Monty felt he could do no more: the ladder was nearly finished and it was time to head for the airport. His holiday was over. Twitching his nose in amusement about his shattered notions of German efficiency, he said his goodbyes and reminded his team to clear the thorns at the foot of the tower. Passing through the forest he heard Rapunzel singing as usual. It was beautifully melodic and haunting but he fancied it sounded less despairing these days. It stopped abruptly and a heart rending scream stopped Monty in his tracks; the fur on the back of his neck stood on end; his eyes were wide with shock.

A quick call on the mobile was the best he could do; his shaking paws tapped out the correct number on his third attempt. His urgent message was interspersed with small squeaks of distress. He continued on with a heavy heart. The flight was on time but Rapunzel’s scream of terror echoed through his head until he returned to the nest.

He received an invitation to the wedding of course, and Rapunzel looked beautiful despite her shorn hair.  The Prince gazed adoringly at his radiant bride and although he still limped a little after the fall from the tower, he admitted it could have been much worse. The Good Witch of the North and the Munchkins had arrived too late on the scene to prevent the accident but they effectively dispatched the ghastly crone later with a well-aimed bucket of water, and muttered incantations.

When the story was reported later in the press, Monty shook his head despairingly. Why don’t these people check their facts?